This invention relates to a lock mechanism that holds a sliding member that is mounted on a body as being an object to be mounted in a slidably movable manner between a predetermined engage position and a pullout position and a transfer device that makes use of the lock mechanism.
Various transfer devices that are used in case of transferring a transferring material such as a tape like an adhesive tape or a non-adhesive tape, a solid or liquid paste or a binding agent to a face to which the transferring material is to be transferred have been conceived. Some of the transfer devices are so arranged that a holder holding a transferring material comprises a body case and a cartridge holding the transferring material wherein the holder and the cartridge can be split. In accordance with this arrangement, the holder is split into the cartridge and the body case and the cartridge holding the used transferring material is exchanged with a cartridge holding a new transferring material after all of the transferring material is used up. (For example, refer to patent document 1) This arrangement has a lock mechanism that comprises two engaging bores that are formed on a side face of the body case, and two engaging nails that can be engaged with the engaging bores formed at both distal ends of a horseshoe shaped band constituting side faces of the cartridge wherein the cartridge can be engaged with the body case by engaging the engaging nails with the engaging bores. In order to exchange the cartridge, first, portions near the distal ends of the horseshoe shaped band are held by multiple fingers of one hand and the engaging nails are moved inward so as to release an engaged state of the engaging nails and the engaging bores, which releases the engaged state of the body case and the cartridge, and next, the cartridge is slid relative to the body case so as to separate the cartridge from the body case. (Patent document 1) Japan patent laid open number 2002-144790 (FIG. 1)
With the transfer device of the above-mentioned arrangement, it is required to hold the cartridge tightly from outer sides of the engaging nails in order to move the engaging nails arranged at two portions inward when the cartridge is dismounted from the body case. More specifically, the above-mentioned operation may not be conducted if it is not possible to hold the cartridge between fingers such that only a single finger is free.
This kind of problems may happen to general cases wherein the lock mechanism of the above-mentioned arrangement is used such that a cover body is mounted on a body case as being an object to be mounted in a slidably movable state.
The present claimed invention intends to provide a lock mechanism that can hold a member mounted on a body in a slidably movable state at a predetermined engaged position and the member can be allowed to make a sliding movement with a simple operation by a finger and a transfer device to which the lock mechanism is applied.